The uniformed patrol function is the backbone of the City of Port Jervis Police Department. It is the most visible of all divisions, and members assigned to patrol are primarily in marked patrol vehicles, although at times they may be seen patrolling on foot, bicycle, or other specialized vehicles. The primary duties of the Patrol Division are the preservation of the rights of citizens, the reduction of fear of crime within the community, the maintenance of public order, providing community service and the protection of persons and property. Specifically, uniformed patrol officers:

Respond to all calls for police service.

Conduct thorough preliminary investigations of all offenses.

Conduct follow-up investigations in cases where the responsibility is not yielded to another division.

Apprehend offenders and recovers stolen property.

Enforce laws and ordinances.

Conduct high visibility traffic enforcement and education

Conduct crime prevention and suppression activities.

Conduct public education and outreach

Maintain close liaisons with the community and fosters positive police-community relations.

Engage in problem solving activities with our residents.

Respond to non-criminal complaints.

Initiate Warrant Investigations

Central Communications

All police officers are certified by the State of New York and many have received additional specialized training. Within the patrol division officers also serve in other assignments which are secondary to the uniformed patrol function, such as:

Community Resource / Crime Prevention Officers

Field Training Officers

General Topic Police Instructors

Firearms and Tactical Training Instructors

Defensive Tactics Instructors

Emergency Vehicle Operations Insructor

Bicycle Patrol

Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E)

K-9 Unit

Plain Clothes Enforcement Details

Neighborhood Watch

Gang Intelligence

Specialized Traffic Safety Enforcement

Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement

Specialized Patrols Targeting offenders driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol

Counter Terrorism Patrols

All-Terrain Vehicle Patrols

School Safety and Crossing Guard Program

Animal Control Services

Members of the Patrol Division are at the forefront of the community policing initiative. Patrol officers are highly familiar with their assigned patrol areas and residents and provide a high degree of service to the neighborhoods they serve.

Shifts

The Uniformed Patrol Division is broken down into four squads that provide 24 hour continuous coverage to the residents of the City of Port Jervis on three assigned shifts. The Department ensures that a minimum number of police officers are scheduled during each shift in order to ensure that adequate staffing is available at all times for the delivery of safe and professional law enforcement services. To ensure that adequate shift supervision is maintained and that resources are effectively coordinated and managed, each shift has a minimum of one (1) Sergeant, who serves as the shift supervisor and is in charge of a squad of uniform police officers.